Blackened Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter Recipe

Simple blackened salmon topped with cilantro lime compound butter.

Blackened Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter Recipe

Blackened salmon with cilantro lime butter may be the easiest and most delicious salmon recipe you’ll EVER make. I love this recipe because it’s citrusy, salty, and a little spicy. Thanks to the spices and pan searing, the salmon’s exterior develops a nicely charred crust while leaving a juicy tender inside.

Cilantro lime butter adds a lot of fresh flavors and a creamy buttery finish to help balance the charred crust. It’s the refreshing final touch blackened salmon really needs. This recipe is the ideal candidate for a cast iron skillet, but your favorite searing pan will do just fine.

Tips for Blackening Salmon

Blackening is a Cajun-style technique involving generously seasoning meat with a blend of spicy, smokey spices and pan-searing or grilling on high heat. It renders the salmon (or anything) with a dark caramelized crust due to the rub of spices.

There are a handful of pre-made blackening spices out there, Old Bay being one of my favorites and most accessible. You can also make your own blackening seasoning (recipe below) with a combo of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. This is a great combo that never fails!

I like to generously coat all four sides of a salmon filet in blackening seasoning for ultimate flavor and punch. Be sure to get skinless filets so you can season all sides. Some premade blackening seasoning can be a little spicy and or salty, so be sure to taste a little before using. Most of the time, you won’t need to add any additional salt to the dish.

Cilantro Lime Compound Butter

Cilantro lime butter is the ultimate finishing touch on blackened salmon. Compound butter is the process of mixing minced fresh herbs and spices into butter and serving as a condiment or topping. Just imagine garlic, lime juice, butter, and fresh cilantro drizzled over every bite of salmon. The lime and cilantro perfectly complement the smokey, spicy salmon. It literally makes this entire recipe worth it.

Blackened Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter Recipe

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Blackened Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter Recipe

  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 8 mins
  • Total Time: 18 mins
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Cajun

Description

Simple blackened salmon topped with garlicky cilantro-lime compound butter.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 6-8 ounce salmon filets, skin removed
  • 23 tablespoons blackening seasoning (such as Old Bay)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 lime wedges for garnish

Cilantro lime butter

  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 lime, juice squeezed
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Homemade blackening seasoning (makes 6 tablespoons)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the cilantro lime butter

  1. Leave butter on the counter to soften. Alternatively, place butter in a small bowl or ramekin and microwave in 5-10 second intervals to soften. Do not melt. Add garlic, cilantro, and lime juice.
  2. Use a fork to mix the butter together until combined. Form the butter into an imperfect ball and keep in the fridge until ready to serve

For the salmon

  1. Generously season each salmon filet with blackening seasoning until fully coated on all sides. Note, store-bought blackening seasoning tends to be salty. If you’re salt sensitive, I’d recommend using a thin dusting. Squeeze a little lime juice over each side of each filet and rub it in.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, sear salmon for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once, for medium. Sear for 4-5 minutes per side if you prefer your salmon more flakey and well done. Do not move, prod, or poke salmon while cooking. Leave it alone to let a crust form.
  3. Plate and top each salmon filet with a spoonful of cilantro lime butter and serve with a lime wedge and additional chopped cilantro.

Blackening seasoning

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or container and mix to incorporate. This recipe makes 6 tablespoons so you will have plenty extra.

Notes

This recipe works best in a cast iron skillet. You can alternatively grill the salmon for 3-4 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Just be sure to grease the grates well to ensure it doesn’t stick.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 537
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Sodium: 241mg
  • Fat: 34.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 13.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 10.6g
  • Fiber: 4.1g
  • Protein: 51.8g
  • Cholesterol: 158mg

Keywords: blackened salmon, how to blacken fish, cilantro lime butter